Secret Avengers Declassified: Hawkeye & Captain Britain

The Marvel Universe is still feeling the effects of Fear Itself even as the conflict of Avengers vs. X-Men looms. One team that will be dramatically changed in early 2012 is the Secret Avengers.

Writer Rick Remender is beginning his run on the series with Secret Avengers #21.1, with artist Gabriel Hardman joining him shortly afterward. Along with a new writer comes a new team leader and an overhauled cast.

For the next several weeks, we'll be profiling the eight core members of the new Secret Avengers. We'll tell you who they are, what their essential stories are, and even provide some creator commentary from Remender himself.

Over the years, the Avengers have offered many fallen heroes and misunderstood villains the chance for redemption. Hawkeye was one of the first heroes to benefit from a fresh start. This expert marksman joined the team early on and became one of their most frequent and flamboyant members.

The happy-go-lucky Hawkeye took a darker turn when he was killed and resurrected by Scarlet Witch twice in short order. Since returning to the Avengers, Hawkeye has struggled to readjust to the current state of the world, the rise of villains like Norman Osborn, and the collapse of his relationship with his ex-wife, Mockingbird. He even temporarily abandoned the Hawkeye mantle in order to don the Ronin costume instead.

But with a new girlfriend in the form of Spider-Woman and leadership positions in both the Secret Avengers and Avengers Academy, life is looking up for Clint Barton again. Whether this trend will continue for long is anyone's guess.

Remender Says: "He attempts to handle things with a brashness that I don't think Steve would use. There are consequences to that, as with all things. So it's kind of fun to take his character and put him in this situation with this new team.

He's obviously no stranger to running squads of Avengers, as he's been the leader before, but given how different this is, and given that he has to approach this from a more subdued angle and make sure he's not seen and that the things they are doing are under the radar, basically, Hawkeye is definitely going to have to adjust."

Essential Stories

Avengers: Hawkeye TPB: This trade collects a number of classic Hawkeye stories, including his first appearance in Tales of Suspense #57 and the original Hawkeye mini-series by writer Mark Gruenwald.

New Avengers #26: This standalone issue from Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev acts as an epilogue to the events of Avengers: Disassembled and House of M. Recently resurrected, Hawkeye sets out to track down Scarlet Witch and make her pay the price for her actions.

New Avengers: The Reunion TPB: This mini-series kicked off writer Jim McCann's series of Hawkeye and Mockingbird stories. The Reunion and its follow-ups (Hawkeye & Mockingbird, Widowmaker, and Hawkeye: Blindspot) establish the current status quo for Hawkeye and his former wife.